Xi: Health issue key for development

President hails forum's role in pushing for improvement of people's well-being

Good health for everyone is the common aspiration of humanity and a key part of the building of a community of a shared future for mankind, President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory letter to a global health forum that opened on Tuesday.

Advancing the cause of global health also is important in implementing the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said in the letter, read by Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan during the opening ceremony of the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia, held in Qingdao, Shandong province.

Xi said the forum is an important effort in promoting the common development of and people's well-being in Asia and around the world, to which the Boao Forum for Asia has been committed.

He expressed his hope that the forum would help pool strength from all sides, build consensus, enhance exchanges, advance the global health cause and the health sector, and promote international health cooperation in order to contribute to promoting the health of humanity.

More than 2,500 delegates from about 50 countries and regions are attending the forum, which closes on Wednesday. They will have intensive exchanges on a variety of topics related to health through activities such as 28 subforums, according to the forum's organizing committee.

Sun said in her keynote speech that China has been engaged in international cooperation in health over the past several decades, including sending medical teams to 71 countries in areas such as Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing nearly 280 million diagnosis and treatment services.

In China, the health of the population has significantly improved in the 70 years since the People's Republic of China was established, with the average life expectancy having risen to 77 years last year from 35 in 1949, she said.

Major indicators, including infant and maternal mortality rates, are now more favorable in China than the average for mid-high income countries, she said, adding that major infectious diseases are effectively under control in China.

However, with a population of 1.4 billion, China's health development is still unbalanced, and the country still must make arduous efforts to reach the target of ensuring access to health services for all people, she said.

"We should improve cooperation, including expanding personnel exchanges, and gather our efforts to deal with the common challenges facing humankind," Sun said.

Margaret Chan, president of the Global Health Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia and former director-general of the World Health Organization, said that starting this year, the global health forum will be held every year to establish a long-term platform for health cooperation and exchanges among academia, governments, industries, business and civil society.

"By doing this, we hope to contribute to all people a happier and a healthier life," she said.

Health has long been regarded as one of the basic rights of every individual, but the world is still faced with multiple global health challenges, including health inequality and the rise of the burden of chronic diseases caused by population aging, she said.

"Health for all demands the participation of all - all individuals and all countries," she said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.